U.S. Rep. Hagedorn pays visit to Austin’s Hormel Institute

Congressman Jim Hagedorn visited The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, in Austin on Wednesday to meet with local cancer researchers, the American Cancer Society, and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network to discuss the potential of increasing federal research budgets.

Congress was unable to come to a federal funding deal for fiscal year 2020 by the September deadline and instead passed a continuing resolution to keep the government open until November 21st. While a final deal is still in flux, the U.S. House passed legislation earlier this year that would increase National Institutes of Health funding by $2 billion in fiscal year 2020 and the Senate released a draft bill that would boost NIH funding by $3 billion.

“Our community – through the leadership and generosity of The Hormel Foundation and local donors – has developed The Hormel Institute into a state of the art cancer research center,” said Ann M. Bode, professor and interim executive director for The Hormel Institute.

“What is critical for continued success and progress is for our expert scientists to receive national grants to support the innovative research they want to and are prepared to do. We rely on national funding agencies to do this so discoveries can flourish in our effort to improve human health.”

The Hormel Institute opened in 1942 and currently employs 140 faculty and staff in Austin, with future growth planned.